The present invention relates to video test and measurement instruments, and more particularly to a video test and measurement instrument having a single input for receiving either an analog or a serial digital video signal with the ability to automatically switch internal processing accordingly.
In the current transitional stage from analog to digital video environments, many video studios operate in a mixed environment—having both analog and serial digital video sources available. In order to observe the quality of the video signal from these sources, a user has to know which type of source is being tested/measured in order to use an appropriate instrument. This in the past has required the user to have at least two instruments with him—one for analog video and one for digital video. Alternatively the user has a single instrument with a converter to convert from the type of signal of the source to the type of signal acceptable by the instrument. Currently there are waveform monitors available for both analog and digital video signals. But these instruments have separate analog and digital video input ports. Even with these instruments the user has to know what type of source he is measuring in order to connect it to the proper video input port. For a handheld instrument with limited real estate, having two different video input ports is not practical.
What is desired is the ability to have a single video input port for an instrument that accepts either analog or serial digital video signals with an automatic video switch between analog and digital video input paths within the instrument.